The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods:

SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods— a collection of news bits and pieces that are relevant to the modern survivalist and prepper from “JWR”.  Today, we focus on California’s 1862 Megastorm.

Beating Facial Recognition

Worth reading, at American Partisan: A Few Ideas on Beating Facial Recognition.

Also see: Facial recognition’s ‘dirty little secret’: Millions of online photos scraped without consent

A Sequel to California’s 1862 Megastorm?

Here’s what a ‘very likely’ sequel to California’s 1862 megastorm would look like. Here are two quote:s

“That singular storm, called the Great Flood, unleashed 10 feet of rain and snow over California in 43 days at the end of 1861 and the start of 1862. The precipitation formed an inland sea that stretched 300 miles down the Central Valley and as much as 60 miles wide. At least 21 people died, the state declared bankruptcy, and, Cox says, ‘it drowned so many cattle’ that California changed from a predominantly ranching economy to the agricultural salad bowl we know today.”
and,
“But even the most humdrum ARkStorm predictions are hair-rising. One in four buildings in the state would flood. Rivers would swell and even coastal communities would be inundated, as floodwaters rushed to the shore too fast for the ocean to absorb them—a situation similar to the long, slow leak Houston saw after Hurricane Harvey. The biggest challenge is the sheer number of people in the path of destruction. The 1860 census recorded just 379,994 in California; today there are almost 40 million. The USGS team estimates at least 1.5 million people would need to evacuate, and still there would be “a substantial loss of life.””
Continue reading“The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods:”



The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

 I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.

And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.

 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

 Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.

Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.

 But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.

 Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.

These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;

 Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.

And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,

 To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage.

But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;

How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.

These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.

But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,

Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.” – Jude 3-21 (KJV)



Preparedness Notes for Friday — March 22, 2019

This is the birthday of Louis L’Amour. (Born 1908, died 1988.) Some of his novels have survival themes. One of the most notable ones of interest to survivalists is Last of the Breed.

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 81 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $11,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A $3000 gift certificate towards a Sol-Ark Solar Generator from Veteran owned Portable Solar LLC. The only EMP Hardened Solar Generator System available to the public.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  7. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Second Prize:

  1. A Model 175 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $439 value),
  2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  3. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 value),
  4. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  5. An assortment of products along with a one hour consultation on health and wellness from Pruitt’s Tree Resin (a $265 value).

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  3. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances.

Round 81 ends on March 28th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.



Shelter Preparedness, Pt. 2, by Pete Thorsen

(Continued from Part 1. This part concludes the article.)

Obviously, the best bet is to stay with your vehicle if possible. You can carry a lot of stuff in your vehicle, and the vehicle itself can always be a temporary shelter. You might have to leave your vehicle to be closer to a water supply or for a different reason. Once you are bugging out and away from your residence, you might have to be much more flexible in your thinking. Such as: Your shelter can be anything, depending on the circumstances. If it is hot, maybe all you need is some shade. Your particular situation and location make all the difference.

While staying in your home is often the best choice (especially short-term) in some cases that is just not the best choice. If you are in an apartment or a condominium they can become poor places to stay very quickly in many situations. Both are very susceptible to fire. With either, you have many other people staying in the same building, and if any of them start a fire, everyone in the building must evacuate, very quickly. Also, those buildings are often located near the center of the city or town. So that could be very close to any ‘social unrest’ or riots. Often it is quite difficult to be very secure in those buildings.

Another problem with any living quarters in most cities or towns is that if the power goes off you lose your water supply. (Very few municipal water supplies are gravity fed from end-to-end.) You can prepare for this somewhat by storing some water, but lack of power also means lack of sewage pumps. This could cause raw sewage to back up into your house or apartment. As you can imagine this could force your evacuation.   Living on the second floor or higher or living on a hill will help prevent sewage backup from entering your home or apartment. Too bad for the people on the first floor because they will know every time someone above flushes.

Continue reading“Shelter Preparedness, Pt. 2, by Pete Thorsen”



Economics & Investing For Preppers

Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. We also cover hedges, derivatives, and obscura. And it bears mention that most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor, JWR. Today, we return to the topic of custom knives. (See the Tangibles Investing section.)  Pictured is a famed Randall Knife–a production knife that–because of its reputation–often sells for more than many custom knives.

Precious Metals:

Gary Tanashian: Hurdles For Gold Stocks

o  o  o

At Kitco: Commerzbank Sees $1,400 Gold, $16.50 Silver By Year-End

 

Economy & Finance:

Global Slowdown Exposing Outgunned Central Banks

o  o  o

The Most Splendid Housing Bubbles in Canada Deflate

o  o  o

Housing Bubble Predictions: Will Housing Market Crash Soon?

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”



The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“There are some things which cannot be learned quickly, and time, which is all we have, must be paid heavily for their acquiring. They are the very simplest things and because it takes a man’s life to know them the little new that each man gets from life is very costly and the only heritage he has to leave. ” – Ernest Hemingway



Preparedness Notes for Thursday — March 21, 2019

Just three days after Hessian mercenary forces assaulted the local New Jersey militia at Quinton’s Bridge, the same contingent surprised the colonial militia at Hancock’s Bridge, five miles from Salem. In what became known as the Massacre at Hancock’s Bridge, at least 20 members of the militia lost their lives, some after attempting to surrender. The Loyalists reputedly exclaimed “Spare no one! Give no quarter!” as they stormed the occupied house. Judge Hancock and his brother (both Loyalists) were bayoneted in the melee by the attackers even though they were both staunch supporters of the crown and were themselves non-violent Quakers.

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 81 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $11,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A $3000 gift certificate towards a Sol-Ark Solar Generator from Veteran owned Portable Solar LLC. The only EMP Hardened Solar Generator System available to the public.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  7. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Second Prize:

  1. A Model 175 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $439 value),
  2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  3. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 value),
  4. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  5. An assortment of products along with a one hour consultation on health and wellness from Pruitt’s Tree Resin (a $265 value).

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  3. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances.

Round 81 ends on March 28th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.



Shelter Preparedness, Pt. 1, by Pete Thorsen

We know to be prepared we need certain things. We need water, food, security, and shelter. This article concerns shelter in a future possible emergency situation. This situation could be anything from a gas leak in your apartment building that requires your evacuation, a wildfire approaching your home, a chemical spill that requires your evacuation, maybe even up a nuclear bomb going off and you are in the fallout drift zone, or maybe it is just civil unrest and you want to stay off the streets for awhile.

For many things the best shelter is likely your house or apartment. This is where you are the most comfortable. And you will likely still be comfortable there in an emergency situation if you make some preparations before the event. But no matter how much you prepare or where you live you should always have a backup plan in case you have to leave.

Many things can force you to leave your place of residence. A tornado can happen most places, and that can wreck any building. A fire can force you out. Or a chemical spill nearby, hurricane, snow/ice could collapse your roof, earthquake, sinkhole, volcano, being overrun by bandits, plane crash at your dwelling; the list is almost endless. So while the best place to stay is likely where you now are you should definitely have a bug out plan or “Plan B”, just in case.

Continue reading“Shelter Preparedness, Pt. 1, by Pete Thorsen”



The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods:

SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods— a collection of news bits and pieces that are relevant to the modern survivalist and prepper from “JWR”.  Today, we focus on the Nebraska floods.

Nebraska Floods

Still near the top of the news cycle: Historic floods hit Nebraska after ‘bomb cyclone’ storm. A selection from the Reuters article:

“The National Weather Service predicted dangerous flooding would continue through the weekend in Nebraska and in south and west central Iowa, particularly along the Missouri River.

‘We’re still in a very widely dispersed and intense flooding situation in the eastern third of Nebraska,”’said Mike Wight, a spokesman for the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency, in a phone interview.

Nebraska has had two flood-related fatalities this week, Wight said. One person died at home after failing to evacuate, although the exact cause of death was unclear, authorities said, and the other was swept away while trying to tow a trapped car with his tractor.”

Portable Water Filters For Backpacking and Survival

Tim J. spotted this video at the Corporal’s Corner web site: Portable Water Filters For Backpacking and Survival

Continue reading“The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods:”



The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Bodily vigor is good, and vigor of intellect is even better, but far above both is character. It is true, of course, that a genius may, on certain lines, do more than a brave and manly fellow who is not a genius; and so, in sports, vast physical strength may overcome weakness, even though the puny body may have in it the heart of a lion. But, in the long run, in the great battle of life, no brilliancy of intellect, no perfection of bodily development, will count when weighed in the balance against that assemblage of virtues, active and passive, of moral qualities, which we group together under the name of character; and if between any two contestants, even in college sport or in college work, the difference in character on the right side is as great as the difference of intellect or strength the other way, it is the character side that will win.” – Theodore Roosevelt



Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — March 20, 2019

March 20th is the birthday of Mel Tappan. (Born 1933, died 1980.) His perennially popular survivalist books Survival Guns and Tappan on Survival have a well-deserved following. JWR’s Comment: I propose that March 20th be designated National Survivalism Day. That would be fitting to begin next year, to mark the 40th anniversary of his untimely death. It is also apropos that it falls in March–one of the months that both Northern Europeans and Native Americans refer to as The Starving Season–when stored food runs low, but before spring bounty appears. Plan ahead. Stock up. Don’t starve. I’m sure that Mel Tappan would approve.

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 81 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $11,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A $3000 gift certificate towards a Sol-Ark Solar Generator from Veteran owned Portable Solar LLC. The only EMP Hardened Solar Generator System available to the public.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  7. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Second Prize:

  1. A Model 175 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $439 value),
  2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  3. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 value),
  4. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  5. An assortment of products along with a one hour consultation on health and wellness from Pruitt’s Tree Resin (a $265 value).

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  3. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances.

Round 81 ends on March 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.



Strangers in a Strange Land: Communication, Pt. 2, by L.C.

(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.)

GET TO KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORS. HUMBLE YOURSELF.

We took Danish lessons. It is a very difficult language that has 6 extra vowels that I can’t even hear the differences. After living on our small street for several months, we received an official-looking post card. Using our Danish-to-English dictionary made no sense of the phrases on the card. We had met our neighbors but had not developed friendships. We had learned that all Danes are taught English from 3rd grade onward. If we spoke Danish, they would answer in English. So I humbly walked over to the neighbor and knocked on the door, asked what the card meant. The neighbors were great, explaining that the post office wanted us to shovel snow off our driveway so they could deliver the mail, but don’t worry they said, the temperatures would be in the 50s tomorrow and the snow would melt. Smiles all around.

Then we received three letters from the health department. I had surmised that it was about me getting a pap smear and since our annual health care concerns were taken care of when we traveled back to Ohio yearly, I threw out the first two letters. The third letter was in bold and red type! Did the Danes have a gynecological police? So off to the neighbors again. This time a different neighbor. I humbly knocked on the door, and she (thankfully a female) answered and I showed her the letter and asked questions. She assured me I was fine as I went to the USA for yearly exams.

Continue reading“Strangers in a Strange Land: Communication, Pt. 2, by L.C.”



JWR’s Recommendations of the Week:

Here are JWR’s Recommendations of the Week for various media and tools of interest to SurvivalBlog readers. This week the focus is on Thermo-Electric Generators (TEGs). (See the Gear & Grub section.)

Books:

The Home Edit: A Guide to Organizing and Realizing Your House Goals (Includes Refrigerator Labels)

o  o  o

Keto Diet: Your 30-Day Plan to Lose Weight, Balance Hormones, Boost Brain Health, and Reverse Disease

o  o  o

The Elements of Style, Fourth Edition

 

Movies:

The Battle of Britain. This now-classic war film was released in 1969. The stunt flying and special effects are all genuine “old school”. The acting is first rate. Available on Bu-Ray, DVD, or for free streaming to those with Amazon Prime.

o  o  o

Shortest Way Home: C.S. Lewis & Mere Christianity. Available on Bu-Ray, DVD, or for free streaming to those with Amazon Prime

Continue reading“JWR’s Recommendations of the Week:”



Economics & Investing For Preppers

Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. We also cover hedges, derivatives, and obscura. And it bears mention that most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor, JWR. Today’s focus is on western societies going cashless.

Precious Metals:

Palladium soars to record, gold moves back up above $1,300/oz

o  o  o

Brace For “Slingshot” Rally; Best Days For Silver Are Yet To Come – CEO

 

Economy & Finance:

Formerly Red-Hot Retail Sales Fizzle Back to Normal

o  o  o

At Wolf Richter’s Wolf Street: E-Commerce is Wiping Out Mall Retailers One by One. Here’s the Data

o  o  o

Also from Wolf Richter: The Most Splendid Housing Bubbles in Canada Deflate

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”



The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“One of the first things they teach stockbrokers is to stay out of the stock market. Brokers make their pile from selling advice, and from commissions on stock transactions. They can’t predict the market, and few risk their own money. They, at least, only affect their clients’ fortunes. Economists, though, can ruin the lot of us with their advice — yet if no science can predict a relatively closed system like the stock market, how the devil are you going to ‘fine tune’ something a large as the American economy? I’d think it arrogant to try; as arrogant as the man with three illiterate drug-addicted spoiled brats writing a book on parenting.” – Jerry Pournelle, “The Voodoo Sciences”, 1988